First home, first book, first weekend of summer – The top May headlines from TD

May is the long awaited prelude to summer. Kids count down the days until school's out, excited cottagers head up north for the first long weekend by the lake, and grill masters stake out their nearest backyard patio to fire up the first summer BBQ.

But while you were busy stocking up on sunscreen and bug spray, did you happen to catch all of the news TD shared last month? Not to worry, here's a look at all of the articles and highlights you might have missed in May.

#YourFirstHome

More than half (56%) of Canadian first-time homebuyers are afraid of missing important steps as they find their footing on the first step of the property ladder, while nearly one quarter (24 per cent) say that the homebuying process is stressing them out, according to a new 2018 survey from TD.

Last month, we brought you some tips to help ensure the process of buying your first home is as welcoming as possible. Click on the links below to find out more.

TD Bank Group announced its financial results for the second quarter ended April 30, 2018. Second quarter reported earnings were $2.9-billion, up 17% and adjusted earnings were $3.1-billion, up 20% compared with the same quarter last year.

On TD's MoneyTalk, Kim Parlee was joined by Michael Craig, Senior Portfolio Manager, TD Asset Management, to discuss what rising rates in the U.S. could mean for your portfolio. Check out what he had to say!

#TDBookWeek

TD Canadian Children’s Book Week ran from May 5 to 12, 2018. As part of the annual week-long event, 30 authors, illustrators and storytellers will take part in 400 readings in communities across Canada. Learn more about the program and authors here.

#InclusiveFuture

In an era of disruption and uncertainty, it is up to everyone to work together to build a more inclusive future, TD Bank Group President and Chief Executive Officer Bharat Masrani told graduates from Mount Allison University during a convocation address on Monday, May 14. Hear more of what Masrani had to say to the graduates here.

Last month, TD Bank Group President and CEO Bharat Masrani was on hand to introduce the Prime Minister and present him with the 2018 Egale Leadership Award, which is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions towards advancing LGBTQI2S equality for Canadians.

#SmashingBarriers

May 17 was Global Accessibility Awareness Day, which is aimed at drawing attention to the creation of online, mobile and other technological experiences that are more inclusive. Find out more about TD's accessibility initiatives for our customers and employees.

#CottageSeason

Nothing can sour a long weekend like discovering unexpected damage around your cottage. This Victoria Day long weekend, we gave you five helpful tips to consider when opening your cottage this summer.

#Innovation

This month, Tomi Poutanen, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer at TD and co-founder of Layer 6, spoke with the Economic Club of Canada on why he believes that Canada's technology talent is our country's greatest export. Listen to Tomi's full podcast here.

Dean Tseretopoulos, Associate Vice President, Emerging Capabilities and Digital at TD, shared his thoughts on how successful collaborations between financial institutions and fintechs will impact Canadian banks in the future a "reverse pitch" event at the Canadian Fintech 2.0 Summit.

To celebrate Toronto's first ever Digital Literacy Day, TD took a look back to explore the role digital technologies are playing in the evolution of everyday banking. Learn more about TD's Digital Literacy Day activities and check out the video here.

TD's Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Innovation Chief joined the Exponential podcast to chat about potential applications for AI in the financial services industry. You can listen to the entire four part interview here.

#EconomicUpdate

As expected, this month the Bank of Canada announced it was holding its key monetary policy interest rate at 1.25%, however the statement released with the decision seemed to indicate that the next rate hike could be on the horizon, according to TD Economics.